The Core Supplements I Personally Take For Crazy Good Health (and Why!)

We all have dreamt of a magic pill or drink that could zap us into a thinner, healthier body. I’ve had this dream many times, even prayed for it and mediated about it. Perhaps you’ve been there too?! So I totally understand what it’s like to really want to take a shortcut—pop a pill and be a whole size smaller or rub on some cream and all my acne and eczema vanish immediately before my eyes. After all, we’re living in a instant gratification kinda world.

I eat pretty clean (lots of whole, real, fresh foods and most days are lower glycemic) so I’m pretty sure my body is flooded with vital nutrients on a daily basis.

And trust me, I am a hardcore believer in food being the best medicine.

But…do I honestly feel incredibly amazing and focused every single day from diet alone? No. I don’t. It doesn’t matter how many green juices I drink or kale salads I eat, sometimes I still feel “off” for no reason, and that totally sends out a red flag that I’m deficient in some vitamins, nutrients, minerals, probiotics, or omegas.

And through ALL my years of researching and experimenting with this, I believe with ALL MY HEART that I can definitely amp things up with good quality nutritional supplements to feel more energized, less anxious, happier, and focused. To never be traumatized by another panic attack again. To rarely get sick and never suffer from another bladder or yeast infection. To have clearer, smoother skin not riddled with eczema and acne. Oh, and enjoy sleeping better at night too.

So yeah, I totally want to feel as amazing as I possibly can! Don’t you? That’s where adding in nutritional supplements and experimenting to see what works best comes in to play.

Healthy Lifestyle Tip: Use Supplements As Tools—Not Crutches!

Nutritional supplements work best when used alongside a healthy lifestyle. Period. Even if you find an amazing product that helped you lose weight without changing your diet—eventually your body will build up a tolerance to that product and if you don’t have a good diet and lifestyle at the core, you will gain the weight back. This is just another way to fall into that yo-yo dieting category. As soon as you gain the weight back you go into a total panic, more than likely curse the name of the product that had worked so well but now has failed you, and immediately move on to the next fad diet and/or hottest new product. Sound familiar?

When it comes to supplementing, it really is all about knowing what your body needs that it may not be getting enough from food. That’s why there are some core products that not only I personally take but also feel most people will benefit from. And here’s why: It’s no secret that our world is growing more toxic everyday, making it impossible to get all the vitamins, nutrients, minerals, & probiotics we need from diet alone. I’ve also learned most people struggle with sticking to a healthy lifestyle and nutritional supplements are a great way to help prevent some of the health risks associated with this. And even if you’re diet is damn near perfect, you could still be deficient and need to supplement like I do due to an array of factors from low food quality and poor environmental conditions to a hectic lifestyle with way too much stress and hormonal changes in your body.

Before we dive into the essential supplements, keep one very important thing in mind—we are all bio-individual! That basically means we’re all unique and what works for one may not work the same for another. You will most likely need to do a little experimenting like I do to see which products and dosages work the best for YOU, and which ones you feel you don’t need. It can also be good to change things up too. It’s okay to play around with different brands, maybe X brand works amazing, but you heard about Y brand and want to try it out. That’s totally fine. That’s the fun of experimenting!

Healthy Lifestyle Tip: Be very cautious of the ingredients with whatever brands you choose!

I’ve spent over fifteen years researching and personally experimenting with hundreds of brands and I’ve aligned myself with some of the best out there that have made huge differences in not only my life, but also many of my clients, friends, and family.

So which supplements should YOU be taking?

Yes, I totally understand there are countless thousands of supplements out there. And trust me, I know how confusing it can be. Supplements should be taken as a companion with your healthy lifestyle. They can also help combat your body against any harmful environmental attacks and extreme stress, and yes, also help with cravings and those times you indulge. There are so many benefits good quality nutritional supplements have to offer, so abundantly so that I won’t be touching on every single one of them. Nor will I list every single product I support because remember we are all bio-individual. However there are a few products out there that I believe nearly every person on the planet can benefit from taking. And yes, I take these personally…and have been doing so for many, many years.

Here are the best supplements to get started with (that nearly everyone will benefit from taking):

• Probiotics
• Omega-3s (plant or fish based)
• Magnesium
• Multivitamin
• Vitamin D (during the summer I don’t supplement this as much because I’m out in the sun a lot)

I’ll go into a little more detail about each of those in a second. But first I’m going to list a few others that I’ve found not only helpful for myself, but also a majority of my clients as well.

Other nutritional supplements you may need to consider (depending on your health, goals, lifestyle, etc.):

Yes, there are many other supplements out there from CoQ10 and aminos to iron and turmeric to name a few of them. Like I said, depending on your unique health, goals, lifestyle, etc. a number of other ones could be beneficial for you. It really is all about experimenting to find your “perfect regimen.” Feel free to email me anytime if you have questions about this.

Now, let’s get back to those essential products I told you about.

Probiotics.
One of my biggest passions as a health coach and healthy lifestyle mentor is to inform and educate people about the importance of digestive health. It’s also a huge passion of mine because discovering probiotics and getting my gut healthy was a life-changer for me.

If your gut is healthy, your immune system will be strong (80% of your immune system resides in your gut), you’ll feel happier and less anxious (because 95% of your mood enhancing hormone—serotonin—is also produced by your gut), you’ll sleep better and more restfully (because your serotonin turns into your sleep hormone melatonin at night), your skin will be clear and smooth (skin irritations are a sure sign your gut is unhealthy so addressing the root issue in your gut will improve this), and you’ll be able to burn off more of that stubborn body fat (total yay!).

Like I said, a whopping 80% of your immune system and 95% of your body’s serotonin are in your gut, so in my opinion, this is one of the absolute most important things to take care of. Consuming fermented foods and a diet rich in veggies, healthy fats, and lean proteins are also conducive to supporting your gut health. However, for many of us, eating such a perfect diet all the time just isn’t that easy, and oftentimes it isn’t enough because of one or more of the areas I mentioned above (lifestyle, food quality, polluted environment, etc.) and supplementing a good quality probiotic with enzymes can make a huge difference.

Here are the brands I stand behind and personally use (by clicking the links to purchase I am paid a tiny kickback):

It’s really all about experimenting until you find the best probiotic regimen for your body and health needs.

I can talk hours about this topic. Just ask my sister…lol. In nutrition school, there was such a strong focus on digestive health. My passion and purpose is to bring as much awareness and info as possible to this. Please, do your homework and research this whenever you have some time. It could totally save your life one day…like it did mine.

Sadly, this is NOT something you can get enough of from your diet alone. Sure, you can get some omega-3s from eating fatty rich fish like salmon and hemp seeds, but you’ll need to supplement this to get the exact amount your body needs. Aim for good quality and high in EPA/DHA (around 2-2.5 grams of omega 3 fatty acids and 800-1k mg EPA/DHA). Omega-3s are scientifically proven to reduce chronic inflammation in your body. Chronic inflammation has been linked to most health issues and inability to lose weight.

Multivitamins.
Simply put, supplementing multivitamins support overall cellular function with essential nutrients and ensure that your most important nutritional needs are being met by reducing any dietary deficiencies. We cannot get some of the vitamins and minerals we need from diet alone. And even if you eat the best, cleanest diet, you could still suffer from nutritional deficiencies lacking in your food. From contaminants in the water supply and toxic runoff in our soil, to airborne chemicals attacking our food sources and even GMOs—there’s just too many ways you’re body is missing some of the vital things it needs. Buying organic reduces some of the contaminates in your food and the risk of any GMOs, but there’s no guarantee your body will absorb all of those vital nutrients. Lack of mindful eating and chewing is another big issue we face with this. Mindful eating is when you’re mindful of what you’re eating, not opting for processed, fast foods, but instead choosing real, whole foods. When you chew mindfully, you spend more time chewing each bite, which supports the digestion process where your saliva helps break down your food. This allows more nutrients from your food to be absorbed in your body. This is why I’m such a huge fan of juicing and it’s immediate absorption of those nutritious veggies and fruits. This is also why taking a good quality multivitamin has become a sure staple in your overall health and wellness.

Magnesium.
Magnesium is an essential mineral that oftentimes needs to be supplemented—even if you’re taking a multivitamin. It alkalizes the body, helps with hydration (it’s an essential electrolyte!), relaxes the nervous system and improves sleep, and aids your probiotic and enzymes with gut health, relieving constipation and moving those nasty toxins get out of your body. There are many other benefits and I encourage you to check them out, from heart health to healthier bones.

Like I said above, I typically don’t supplement Vitamin D during the summertime (sometimes a little longer than that because summers linger here in Florida). I’m outside A LOT. Hello, total beach enthusiast here! So I’m basking in nature’s natural vit D and rock’n some serious sunblock. However, if I feel a bit anxious or depressed and my diet has been pretty good—and my current supplement regimen isn’t working as good as it normally does—then I’ll add this back in first to see if that makes a difference.

Now let’s touch on those other products I told you about that may not be ideal for every single person on the planet, but have had amazing success rates in a majority of the people who take them as instructed.

Prebiotic Fiber.
Prebiotics and probiotics are completely different things. You need a probiotic to help replenish the healthy bacteria in your gut and pre-biotics are like the miracle grow for that healthy bacteria. So what exactly is Prebiotic Fiber? It’s basically the food that Probiotics (aka good bacteria) eat. It is indigestible fibers that are in certain foods and supplements. When Prebiotic fiber is in the system, it makes the environment more conducive for Probiotics to flourish. Feeding them is necessary for a healthy micro biome. Any one who isn’t getting enough healthy fiber in their diet should consider supplementing prebiotic fiber.

Chromium.
You already have a pretty good idea just how important keeping your blood sugar balanced and stable is. Chromium has been around for many, many years and there are countless studies and research case studies on it. Chromium is known as an essential trace element and it can be used for blood sugar control for people with Types 1 and 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and high blood sugar due to steroids. Balanced blood sugar has been shown to give you more control over food and reduce cravings. It is also used for depression, lowering bad cholesterol, and raising good cholesterol; aids in weight loss, fat loss, and muscle gain; improves athletic performance and increases energy.

— Plexus Slim (My #1 Fave and it now has prebiotic fiber added in too—so double score!)
— Evlution Nutrition Lean Mode (This doesn’t have chromium, but it does have CLA, Garcinia, and Green Tea leaf extract. I really enjoy cycling this with my Slim drink!)

Greens Powder.
A good greens supplement is highly encouraged if you struggle to get enough veggies in your daily diet. After all, those vitamins and minerals are critical and as you already know a deficiency in them can lead to a host of health issues along with a being a big red flag in your weight loss struggles. Even if you’re like me and eat veggies with almost all meals and you juice a few times a week, a good greens supplement can still be beneficial. I recommend this if you don’t have a juicer and also if you travel as this is super easy to pack with you so you can be sure to get those veggies in.

B Complex.
Due to high stress, so many of us suffer from adrenal fatigue. A lack of vitamin B in your regimen may impact your physical health in different ways. Hundreds of bodily biochemical reactions are supported by B-vitamins, and deficiency in vitamin B can lead to fatigue and lethargy. A good B-complex vitamin is a mixture of eight essential B-vitamins that are critical to metabolism at the cellular level and help to maintain healthy levels of serotonin, increase energy, and decrease stress. From the first day of adding in my B Complex, my focus sharpened (super productive and totally getting stuff done!) and my energy increased throughout the day.

Milk Thistle (Liver Care).
I can’t even begin to stress how important taking care of your liver—along with the rest of your body—is. Milk thistle promotes liver and gallbladder health by providing free-radical scavenging activity, stimulation of liver cell regeneration, and prevention of toxin uptake by the liver cells. It has been seen to demonstrate strong protective activity when liver cells are challenged by a variety of toxins. Milk thistle supports the regeneration of damaged liver tissue, supports healthy liver and bile cholesterol, and helps limit liver damage as a result of disrupted oxygen supply. If you still struggle to omit lots of sugar and processed foods from your diet, take medications (some are much harder on your liver than others—this includes OTC), and if you enjoy drinking alcohol regularly, then you may want to seriously consider adding milk thistle to your routine. It’s also an ideal product to take during a detox and/or cleanse.

Why take the 7-day detox kit?
This is an optional step when detoxing, but encouraged to fully cleanse your liver and digestive tract. It cleanses your liver and digestive tract, helps reset your body, and revs up your natural metabolism. The kit uses exceptional herbs and botanicals to detoxify, cleanse, and purify the digestive tract and liver. In providing select nutrients and botanicals, it mildly purges the body of potential or accumulated toxins.

I won’t be getting into any of the other supplements out there that could be beneficial for your unique body, lifestyle, and goals. What I’ve gone over with you above is a really good place to start. Like I said, it’s all about experimenting to find the best regimen for you. And yes, nutritional supplements cost money, but so does everything else in this world. If your priority is feeling good and loving how you fit in your clothes, then this should be viewed more of as an investment in yourself instead of an expense. I know so many people who don’t even flinch at the price of a new watch, handbag, designer clothes, shoes, or even that latte. But as soon as they hear a good vitamin costs about $40 (give or take) for a monthly supply it, they get turned off.

We’re all born with the only body we’re ever gonna have on this planet—and taking care of it should not make you flinch.

Don’t forget that you need to listen to your body and change things up occasionally as needed. No regimen—including supplements—is ever set in stone. It’s ok to experiment to find the best regimen for YOU. Remember, we’re all bio-individuals. It’s perfectly fine to try out a supplement and then change it up with another one. Maybe discovering supplement ‘A’ worked better for you after all. It’s all about finding what works best for your unique body, lifestyle, and goals. This is a journey—not a destination. So be mindful that you’ll always be moving forward. With that said, you might as well be working toward your goal since time is going to pass regardless. Right?

Are there supplements out there that you love? What’s your fave regimen? I’d love to hear from you! 🙂

PS: I’ll never endorse products that I don’t personally use. If you are interested in buying one of the products I’ve written about, you can order through the links above (at no additional cost to you)! If you purchase any of the products linked through my posts or through my store, I receive a small percentage from the respected affiliate program. If you enjoy the information and recipes I share and would like to support this journey, please click directly through my links. Thank you! I greatly appreciate it!

Have You Gotten Your Copy Of My FREE eBook—5 Foods That Will Help You Lose Weight Naturally?

[…] way I accelerate my progress and maintain results is through supplements. You can check out the Core Sups I take for Crazy Good Health (and WHY) here. The only thing I don’t cover in that post is stimulants, which can help with weightloss and […]

[…] Another important thing I’m gonna mention is that most days I do take my fish oil and multivitamins (I’ll cycle Isotonix one month, then XFactor the next month…and so on) for my overall health. I’m not listing them as part of my hangover prevention or cure because a few times I did forget them and it didn’t seem to make a difference in my hangover cure results. However, I do beleive they make a big impact on my healthy lifestyle. You can check out my core supplements that I take for crazy good health (and why) by clicking here. http://www.extrememakeovers.com/core-supplements-personally-take-optimal-health/ […]

[…] For all the products Plexus doesn’t carry (and for having fun changing things up) click here for my Isotonix store. You can also explore the Core Supplements I take for Crazy Good Health (and Why) right here. […]

[…] For all the products Plexus doesn’t carry (and for having fun changing things up) click here for my Isotonix store. You can also explore the Core Supplements I take for Crazy Good Health (and Why) right here. […]

[…] new to the world of supplements and not sure what to take and what you may not need, then this post can totally help you out. I mention my favorite probiotics and also share a couple vitamins that […]

[…] You can experiment with these to see how each one could benefit your Candida Overgrowth symptoms—and your overall wellness. And since these are products I personally take regularly for amazing health, you can learn more about them in this article here. […]

[…] new to the world of supplements and not sure what to take and what you may not need, then this post can totally help you out. I mention my favorite probiotics and also share a couple vitamins that […]

[…] new to the world of supplements and not sure what to take and what you may not need, then this post can totally help you out. I mention my favorite probiotics and also share a couple vitamins that […]